on the wing
Idioms-
In flight, usually referring to a bird as opposed to a plane. For example, Louise is very good at identifying birds on the wing . [Late 1400s]
-
Active, in motion, as in Coaches are always on the wing, trying to recruit talented athletes . This usage may be obsolescent. [c. 1500]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Staying fit has been Feyi-Waboso's problem, and England must manage him and Freeman - who has looked more threatening on the wing than at 13 - correctly over the next 12 months.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Above the river, the seagulls kept on the wing as long as they could, hoping the turbulence would bring them a good find”—not unlike these characters, struggling to hang on through uncertain weather.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
It is the first time the 26-year-old has started on the wing in the Six Nations.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
Instead, he pulled up on the wing and made a three.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
Painted on the wing is the black-and-white cross of the Luftwaffe.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
